1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an interface apparatus operable by using a floppy disk drive. More specifically, the present invention is directed to an interface apparatus for an infrared communication with a digital sill camera, operable while being loaded on a floppy disk drive of a personal computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Very recently, digital still cameras are widely used to acquire still image in a very simple manner. The still image data acquired by such digital still cameras are displayed on television screens, or loaded on personal computers to be image-processed.
In this sort of digital still camera, the acquired still image data are stored into either a memory of the digital still camera or a storage medium such as a compact floppy disk thereof. The image data read from this memory, or storage medium during reproduction mode are transferred via a cable connected to an external output terminal of the camera to the television, or the personal computer.
In particular, a desk top type personal computer is typically equipped with connectors provided on a rear surface of a computer main body. These connectors are used to connect this personal computer to a computer peripheral device such as a printer. Accordingly, cumbersome manipulations are necessarily required so as to connect a digital still camera to such a desk top type personal computer.
Also, to transmit/receive image data between a personal computer and a digital still camera, the following data communication method is conceivable. That is, while using a medium equipped with a floppy-disk-shaped case, a detachable type memory is mounted in this floppy-disk-shaped case, and is derived from another electronic appliance. Then, this memory-mounted medium is operated by using a floppy disk drive. However, this data communication method has a drawback in that cumbersome detaching operation is required to detach this memory from the case.
Furthermore, a large number of digital still cameras are normally equipped with infrared ports designed in accordance with the IrDA (Infrared Data Association) standard, and thus are capable of outputting still image data as infrared signals. To the contrary, most of the above-explained desk top type personal computers are not usually equipped with such infrared ports of the IrDA standard. As a result, the above-explained cumbersome manipulations required to connect the digital still camera to this desk top type personal computer conventionally cannot be avoided by utilizing the infrared communication function.
In addition, these inconvenient manipulations and cumbersome operations are similarly required between personal computers and other computer peripheral devices, for example, a portable printer, a portable personal computer, and a portable telephone.